tag:music.tutsplus.com,2005:/categories/guitarEnvato Tuts+ Music & Audio - Guitar2019-02-25T09:58:02Ztag:music.tutsplus.com,2005:PostPresenter/cms-32563The Guitarist's Guide to Being a Tutor: Part 6<p>In the previous tutorials of this series I’ve looked at private and school tuition. Both of these are based on direct interaction with students.</p><p>The other methods of tuition are based on <em>indirect interaction</em>, and are referred to as <em>remote tuition</em>.</p><h2>Remote Tuition</h2><p>Traditional direct tuition is tempered by distance, in that either students come to you or you go to them. This physically limits the available number of potential students. Furthermore, time is lost in terms of travel, and any loss means reducing your earnings.</p><p>Remote tuition can, in theory, occur between people anywhere in the world. Furthermore, some forms of tuition can be earning you money at any time without your direct involvement.</p><p>I'll look at four methods of remote tuition. The first two can earn money in real-time, whereas the remaining two can earn repeatedly after the initial creative work’s occurred.</p><h3>Real-Time Video Lessons</h3><p>In simple terms, this is a video call between tutor and student. The lesson’s conducted as it would be face-to-face, albeit with allowances for the fact that neither of you are in the same room. These have been around for a few years now, but gain in popularity as technology improves.</p><p>A sign of their increasing prevalent is that more respected and/or high-profile guitarists now offer video tuition. Obviously, these are more highly-subscribed and expensive than with a less well-known guitarist. In terms of your pricing, do some research among guitarists of your own level.</p><h4>Requirements</h4><p>From a technical standpoint, you’ll need the following:</p><ul>
<li>
<strong>A good internet connection.</strong> Whilst it’s possible to do this on a non-fibre system, you’re more likely to encounter issues due to reduced upload and download capacities. The higher the capacity of your system, the better. Check your broadband package, as you may need to speak to your provider accordingly.</li>
<li>
<strong>A decent camera. </strong>HD-capable webcams are plentiful and cost from as little as £20. Obviously, check compatibility with your computer.</li>
<li>
<strong>Microphone.</strong> Your webcam will have a built-in mic, but it’ll distort quite easily, especially if the guitar’s close to it. It’s better to have a dedicated audio mic, as you can also position it independently of the webcam.</li>
<li>
<strong>Communication.</strong> In order to communicate, you’ll need a dedicated video conferencing system. <a href="https://www.skype.com/en/" rel="external" target="_blank">Skype</a> remains an extremely popular example.</li>
</ul><p>From a teaching perspective, this kind of remote tuition presents a different set of challenges. </p><p>You’ll need to be aware continuously your student’s not in the same room, so be more demonstrative in your actions and descriptions. Never assume they can see or hear what you’re doing. </p><p>You’ll also have to pay particularly close attention to their playing, as problems are harder to diagnose at a distance.</p><h3>Delayed Response Video Lessons</h3><p>Rather than tutor and student conversing in real-time, this is where a student videos themselves, posts it online to the tutor, who then creates a video in response accordingly.</p><p>There’s no requirement for an instant reply, allowing the tutor to go into greater depth. As it’s a video, it can be edited, so different camera angles can be shot, giving a more detailed answer.</p><p>Obviously, the great disadvantage remains that it’s not an instant response, so the student will have to be patient.</p><p>A high-profile example of this tuition form is <a href="https://artistworks.com/" rel="external" target="_blank">ArtistWorks</a>. Purely from the world of guitarists, tutors include shred monster Paul Gilbert, and jazz luminary Martin Taylor.</p><p>You wouldn’t necessarily need a dedicated website like this. An email address and a storage facility like <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/" rel="external" target="_blank">DropBox</a> would be sufficient.</p><p>In terms of pricing, the aforementioned research should be carried out.</p><h3>Non-Response Video Lessons</h3><p>The simplest example of this would be a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/" rel="external" target="_blank">YouTube</a> video, where you create and post a video discussing and/or demonstrating a concept, with no facility for real-time questions. </p><p>Questions can be asked in the ‘Comments’ section, but there’s no commitment or timeframe to respond.</p><p>As a working musician, you should have a YouTube channel, even if it’s just to display promotional material. In terms of creating content, you’ll need the same equipment as conducting real-time lessons. </p><p>You can decide whether each lesson is a one-off, or if you intend to create a themed series. YouTube allows you to create ‘playlists’, so you can group lessons accordingly.</p><p>Like most equivalent services, YouTube makes money from ads placed on your video, of which you’ll receive 68% of the revenue. However, rule changes in 2018 have made this route significantly less profitable. Eligibility requires 4,000 hours of annual viewing plus over 1,000 subscribers. If your channel really takes off, there’s money to be made, but it’s a big ‘if’.</p><p>There are alternatives to YouTube, such as <a href="https://www.dailymotion.com/us" rel="external" target="_blank">DailyMotion</a>. However, they’re less popular than YouTube, and the pay-out threshold tends to be higher.</p><h3>Published Tuition</h3><p>The single oldest form of indirect tuition still exists. If you were born before the advent of the internet, you’ll probably own some tuition books. These may even have come with some form of audio content, be it CD, cassette, or even floppy vinyl record.</p><p>Whether YouTube’ll kill off this form of tuition isn’t clear, but it’s still hanging in there, and remains a route for tutors accordingly. If you’ve written a lot of lessons, it’s worth considering publishing them accordingly.</p><p>You don’t even need to get a publishing deal these days, as you can self-publish. One of the most high-profile routes is via Amazon’s <a href="https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US?ref_=kdpgp_p_uk_psg_kw_ad67" rel="external" target="_blank">Kindle</a>. </p><p>Of course, the success of this is predicated on how well it’s advertised, and a large proportion of that’ll be down to your own efforts.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>These four forms represent the familiar aspects of tutoring but with their own unique challenges. They can be further revenue streams, but require more initial work than traditional direct tutoring.</p><p>To recap, these methods are:</p><ul>
<li>Real-Time Video lessons, using tools such as Skype</li>
<li>Delayed-Response Lessons, exchanging questions and answers via videos</li>
<li>Non-Response Lessons, such as YouTube videos</li>
<li>Published Tuition</li>
</ul><p>If you’ve read this six-part series, I hope it’s given you some ideas, and perhaps given you the incentive to start sharing your knowledge.</p>2019-02-25T09:58:02.000Z2019-02-25T09:58:02.000ZPhilip Ockelfordtag:music.tutsplus.com,2005:PostPresenter/cms-32468The Guitarist's Guide to Being a Tutor: Part 4<p>In the previous tutorial I looked at the ins-and-outs of being a private tutor. In this tutorial, I cover obtaining work in schools.</p><h2>Peripatetic School Tutor</h2><p><em>Peripatetic</em> means ‘<em>travelling from place to place, working for short periods of time</em>’. In this example, a peripatetic tutor visits schools typically once or twice per week, rather than being a permanent member of staff.</p><h3>What to Expect</h3><p>Viewed positively, a peripatetic tutor has many of the benefits a fully-employed teacher enjoys with few of the drawbacks. For example:</p><ul>
<li>Working hours are similar, but rarely as long</li>
<li>There’s a fraction of the associated paperwork</li>
<li>You can be less qualified</li>
<li>You’ll have a higher rate of students who actually enjoy attending</li>
</ul><p>As with anything, it’s not all upside. Some of the difficulties include:</p><ul>
<li>Your classroom’s wherever the school puts you—I once had to work out of a supply cupboard</li>
<li>Some schools view peripatetic tutors as an annoyance. Consequently, you’ll be the last to know anything, even if it relates to you</li>
<li>Some teachers resent your lessons removing students from theirs</li>
<li>As a non-permanent teacher, some students, and indeed teachers, won’t respect you </li>
</ul><p>Bearing all this in mind, here are some opportunities for becoming a peripatetic tutor.</p><h2>Local Authorities</h2><p>If a local authority has a department for Music in schools, then it follows they may periodically wish to employ peripatetic tutors.</p><p>Authorities advertise when they need tutors, or have a single hiring period (typically in August, ahead of the forthcoming new school year in September). Check their website for such details, which’ll at least give you a point of contact for enquiries. Some authorities also advertise in the job section of local papers or websites.</p><p>Whilst each authority has its own hiring procedures, some may include the following:</p><ul>
<li>They’ll ask for your <em>curriculum vitae</em>, and even a demonstration of your abilities, be it via a supplied recording, or web-links to online content, such as YouTube videos</li>
<li>You may be required to attend an interview. As well as being asked a number of questions—your background, your experience and so on. You may have to demonstrate your ability to play and/or teach</li>
<li>You may be subjected to some form of background check. In the UK this is known as a <b>DBS check</b>, and is covered in a previous <a href="https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/the-guitarists-guide-to-being-a-tutor-part-2--cms-32290?_ga=2.1..." rel="external" target="_blank">tutorial</a>
</li>
<li>If successful, you may have to attend a training course. As well as advice on teaching in schools, it’ll cover current legislation on child safety, responsibilities as a tutor and so on</li>
<li>There may be a probation period, assessing your performance. This can be the authority supplying your schools with a questionnaire or perhaps a more senior tutor sitting in on some of your lessons and submitting a report accordingly</li>
</ul><h3>Formalities</h3><p>Whilst there’s less paperwork than a permanent teacher deals with, there’ll still be forms the local authority expects in terms of where you’re teaching, the hours you’re teaching, and so on. As well as determining what you’re earning, this is accountability in the event of a school querying anything. </p><p>None of this is fun, but it’s part of the job.</p><p>On the plus side, as a formal employee you get paid on a monthly basis, directly to your bank account and tax is deducted at source, so that’s another aspect already dealt with. Some authorities even offer a fuel subsidy. Furthermore, if you’re ill, the authority will arrange cover for you.</p><h2>Private Schools</h2><p>This refers to any academic bodies not covered by a local government authority. Examples of this in the UK include Preparatory Schools and Academies.</p><p>In seeking work, keep your eyes open for advertising in local papers and their websites.</p><p>Some private schools place ads on teaching websites, so use the search phrase ‘<em>private school work</em>’ to yield results. Don’t forget to include your area in the search phrase. </p><p>Failing that, look at the websites of private schools. Firstly, check they have a music department - amazingly, some don’t - and nothing stops you from forwarding your details to them.</p><h3>Easily Difficult</h3><p>Dealing with private schools can be a little curious when compared to local authority schools, in that arrangements tend to be less formal, but simultaneously more involved. Where you’ll have fewer direct dealings with a local authority school, and indeed, parents of students, you’ll have far more when working within private schools.</p><p>For example, local authority schools often arrange your timetable, whereas some private schools expect you to do it. In terms of payment, instead of guaranteed monthly income, some schools leave such matters to be arranged between you and the parents of your students, whom you’ll be invoicing individually. You may have to invoice the school, and it’s for you to negotiate as to when you get paid, whether it’s weekly, monthly, or even per half-term.</p><p>Talking of money, arrangements with private schools can be more lucrative than those of local authorities. However, they’re far less guaranteed. You’ll always encounter a parent who’s slow to settle an invoice, and this is even true of schools on occasion. </p><p>As a peripatetic tutor, if you’re dealing with a school that manages its own budget, you’re <em>way</em> down their list of priorities, so if they wish to hold off payment until they can afford it, they will.</p><p>As a side note, include on your invoice a penalty amount if the invoice isn’t settled within a given period of, for example, seven days. You should state that receipt of the invoice constitutes acceptance of your terms. I’ve never had to resort to applying a penalty, but sometimes the threat of it has been enough.</p><p>Finally, privately-earned income has not been taxed at source, so be aware of your tax liabilities, as it’s likely you’ll need to declare said income at some point.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Obtaining work in schools is like applying for any job, so:</p><ul>
<li>Search for school jobs online</li>
<li>Apply to local authorities for peripatetic positions</li>
<li>Expect to deal with a lot of paperwork and legislation</li>
<li>Apply to private schools</li>
<li>Decide whether you want lower regular income in local authority schools, or higher but irregular income in private schools</li>
</ul><p>In the next tutorial I’ll look at how lessons in schools can differ from private tuition, as well as further tutoring opportunities.</p>2019-01-17T09:30:47.000Z2019-01-17T09:30:47.000ZPhilip Ockelfordtag:music.tutsplus.com,2005:PostPresenter/cms-32461The Guitarist's Guide to Being a Tutor: Part 3<p>In the previous <a href="https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/the-guitarists-guide-to-being-a-tutor-part-2--cms-32290?_ga=2.144300470.245193165.1545917000-76165737.1521032952" rel="external" target="_blank">tutorial</a> I covered some of the reasons why tutoring’s beneficial, as well as ways of advertising your services. In this tutorial I examine considerations for private tuition.</p><h2>Private Tuition</h2><p>This is usually one-to-one teaching conducted either at your home or theirs, typically for 30 or 60 minutes,. This is often the normal starting point for many tutors. </p><p>It's important to know how to proceed once a potential client contacts you.</p><h2>First Contact</h2><p>With ever increasing use of the Internet, what used to be a phone call may now be contact via text, email, Facebook message and so on. Consequently, ensure you’ve a number of ways you’re contactable.</p><p>When you receive a request, try to answer it as soon as possible. If you can’t deal with it right away, acknowledge the message and ask if you can contact them at a time that suits you both. </p><p>If you don’t answer an enquiry until much later this may be interpreted as disinterest on your part.</p><h2>It’s All in the Details</h2><p>When you contact a client, try to find out as much information as possible. Here are some important considerations for your conversation.</p><h3>Playing Experience?</h3><p>Establishing what a student already knows means you can pitch the lessons at an appropriate level. Neither boring an experienced player with aspects they’re familiar with nor baffling a beginner with alien terminology.</p><h3>Do They Own a Guitar?</h3><p>It sounds like a dumb question but you’d be amazed how many people book tuition, arrive without a guitar and don’t understand what the problem is. </p><p>You may wish, therefore, to have a guitar students may use for the duration of the lesson. It’s entirely up to you if you charge extra for this, as long as it’s made clear when the lesson’s being booked.</p><h3>If They Own a Guitar, What Is It?</h3><p>Whilst a lot can be covered on either an acoustic or an electric, there are certain things one can do that the other can’t. Establishing what instrument they have helps define what you’ll teach.</p><h3>Style, Song and Artist Preference?</h3><p>It’s important to find out <em>what</em> they’d like to learn, because you need to be honest as to whether it’s something you can teach. If they want to learn jazz and all you play is rock, you’re not the tutor for them.</p><h3>Availability For Lessons?<br>
</h3><p>Find out what their diary’s like. Some people are available for weekly lessons, and’ll be wholly reliable. Others may need you to be flexible from lesson to lesson—if this doesn’t suit you, again, these are not the clients for you.</p><h3>Grades?</h3><p>Briefly, grades are formal music qualifications, usually in relation to competency on a given instrument. School-age students often require grades, especially as they reach the end of their schooling, as these aid applications for higher education.</p><p>If grades are required, you need to decide if you wish to follow such a formal route and, moreover, whether you're able to deliver the required curriculum successfully.</p><p>If you’ve not considered offering grades, or have never taken any yourself, you should look at those available. In the UK we’ve the more formal routes, such as <a href="https://www.trinitycollege.com/site/?id=3183" rel="external" target="_blank">Trinity Guildhall</a>, or the popular choices, such as <a href="https://www.rslawards.com/rockschool/" rel="external" target="_blank">Rockschool</a>.</p><p>The accreditation offered by these examining bodies are all standardised, so you can offer grades according to the most appropriate curriculum.</p><p>I’ve assisted many students through grades, but I’ve never made them a prerequisite of my tuition. If students want or need them, then we do them, but some just want to learn for fun, and that’s fine as well.</p><h3>Lesson Location?</h3><p>Whilst tutors might prefer students to come to them, some’ll insist on lessons in their home, and again, that’s for you to decide as to whether you want to do that. </p><p>Looking at this in greater detail:</p><h4>Home or Away</h4><p>You need to decide whether you’ll teach from home or be a visiting tutor. Of course, nothing prevents you from doing both.</p><p>Teaching from home makes a lot of sense. Firstly, everything you’ll need is to hand. It’s economically more viable thanks to no travel costs and not losing teaching time in transit from lesson to lesson. </p><p>Furthermore, you control the environment. Lessons conducted in people’s homes tend to be a little more chaotic and not always conducive to education. With that in mind, if students are coming to you, ensure you’ve a dedicated space in which you can teach.</p><p>Some lessons will only occur at the student’s home. For example, parents of students with younger siblings may find it logistically impossible to come to you. Similarly, the student may have transport issues, or even those of physical mobility.</p><p>You’ll certainly find more work if you can travel to students. In my early days all of my lessons were away from home. Consequently, I’d spend a lot of time driving from place to place. I did it because I was getting established and glad of the work, but it did mean some 12-hour days.</p><p>If you do decide to be a visiting tutor, factor this into your pricing. If it’s reasonably local, it shouldn’t cost more but if you’re spending hours in transit then increase the price.</p><h4>Costs</h4><p>Talking of prices, not only should you charge according to location, consider the length of lessons. Obviously, the longer the lesson, the more you’ll charge. Your prices should also be competitive in terms of where you live, so do some research as to what other tutors in your area are charging.</p><h4>Duration</h4><p>Lesson duration is an agreement between you and the student (or their parents). In my experience, whilst age doesn’t always determine everything, students in their early schooling shouldn’t do more than 30 minutes, due to fatigue and attention span. </p><p>Those aged nine or ten and older can manage an hour.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Establishing all of these details at the outset means you can make better decisions as to what you’ll teach, where you’ll teach, and whether you should teach at all.</p><p>Remember to:</p><ul>
<li>Answer enquiries promptly</li>
<li>Establish a student’s experience</li>
<li>What guitar they own (if any)</li>
<li>What they’d like to learn</li>
<li>If they need grades</li>
<li>Where lessons will occur</li>
<li>Frequency and length of lessons</li>
</ul><p>In the next tutorial I’ll look at other routes into tuition.</p>2019-01-10T10:30:53.000Z2019-01-10T10:30:53.000ZPhilip Ockelfordtag:music.tutsplus.com,2005:PostPresenter/cms-317606 Alternative Tunings Every Guitarist Should Try <p>Consider how many hours you've spent crafting a sound through amplifiers, guitars and effects pedals with the intention of making it your own identity, only to feel that you're lacking that certain something. An alternative tuning is what you're looking for. </p><p>In this tutorial, I'll explain how tuning your guitar to a nonstandard tuning gives your music a unique sound and approach and gives you a unique identity. </p><p>In this tutorial, I'll cover the following topics: </p><ol>
<li>Equipment </li>
<li>String gauges</li>
<li>Setup</li>
<li>Tuning tips </li>
<li>Multiple guitars</li>
<li>Types of guitar tunings</li>
</ol><h2>
<span class="sectionnum">1.</span> Equipment </h2><p>Use a chromatic tuner. For tuning at home, a mobile phone application will be sufficient. </p><figure class="post_image"><img alt="VITALtuner by Otreus Inc" data-src="https://cms-assets.tutsplus.com/uploads/users/1524/posts/31760/image/IMG_0064_Fotor.jpg"><figcaption>VITALtuner by Otreus Inc</figcaption></figure><p>For live performing, invest in a chromatic tuner like the popular <a href="https://www.boss.info/global/products/tu-3/" rel="external" target="_blank">Boss – TU-3</a>. Speed up the tuning process using a string winder.</p><figure class="post_image"><img alt="String Winder by Jim Dunlop " data-src="https://cms-assets.tutsplus.com/uploads/users/1524/posts/31760/image/IMG_0063_Fotor.jpg"><figcaption>String Winder by Jim Dunlop </figcaption></figure><h2>
<span class="sectionnum">2.</span> String Gauges</h2><p>You should restring a guitar with a different string gauge than the one you're using for standard tuning. This helps keep the appropriate tension across the strings for consistency of tone and ease of playing. </p><p>When selecting a string gauge, you should be aiming for a gauge that gives you the same tension that the guitar was set up for, but with an alternative tuning. </p><p>The table below shows the average tension of a set of gauge 0.010–0.046 guitar strings. </p><table>
<thead><tr>
<th>Pitch</th>
<th>String Gauge <br>Diameter <br>(inches)</th>
<th>Tension <br>(Ibs)</th>
</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>E</td>
<td>0.010</td>
<td>16.2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>B</td>
<td>0.013</td>
<td>15.4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>G</td>
<td>0.017</td>
<td>16.6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>D</td>
<td>0.026</td>
<td>18.4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>A</td>
<td>0.036</td>
<td>19.5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>E</td>
<td>0.046 </td>
<td>17.5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><p>Let's say you want to up-tune your 6th string from the standard E to an F—a rise of a semi-tone. </p><ol>
<li>Locate the tension for the 6th string (lower E) with a gauge of 0.046". This will be 17.5 Ibs.</li>
<li>Now locate the closest string tension to 17.5 Ibs in the F column. The closest is 18.0 Ibs, which gives you a string gauge of 0.044". </li>
</ol><table>
<thead><tr>
<th>Gauge <br>(Lower E)</th>
<th>c</th>
<th>B</th>
<th>A</th>
<th>G</th>
<th>F</th>
<th>E</th>
<th>D</th>
<th>C</th>
</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>0.039</td>
<td>32.2<br>
</td>
<td>28.7</td>
<td>22.8</td>
<td>18.1</td>
<td>14.3</td>
<td>12.8</td>
<td>10.1</td>
<td>8.0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>0.042</td>
<td>37.2<br>
</td>
<td>33.1</td>
<td>26.3</td>
<td>20.9</td>
<td>16.6</td>
<td>14.8</td>
<td>11.7</td>
<td>9.3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>0.044</td>
<td>40.5<br>
</td>
<td>36.1</td>
<td>28.7</td>
<td>22.7</td>
<td><strong>18.0</strong></td>
<td>16.1</td>
<td>12.8</td>
<td>10.1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>0.046</td>
<td>44.0</td>
<td>39.2</td>
<td>31.1</td>
<td>24.7</td>
<td>19.6</td>
<td><strong>17.5</strong></td>
<td>13.9</td>
<td>11.0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>0.048</td>
<td>47.7</td>
<td>42.5</td>
<td>33.7</td>
<td>26.8</td>
<td>21.2</td>
<td>18.9</td>
<td>15.0</td>
<td>11.9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>0.049</td>
<td>49.5</td>
<td>44.2</td>
<td>35.0</td>
<td>27.8</td>
<td>22.1</td>
<td>19.7</td>
<td>15.6</td>
<td>12.4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>0.052</td>
<td>55.4</td>
<td>49.4</td>
<td>39.2</td>
<td>31.1</td>
<td>24.7</td>
<td>22.0</td>
<td>17.4</td>
<td>13.9</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><p>You may wish to use the site <a href="http://www.stringtensionpro.com" rel="external" target="_blank">String Tension Pro</a> in selecting the most appropriate gauge for your alternative tuning. </p><h2>
<span class="sectionnum">3.</span> Setup</h2><p>Be aware that the guitar may bow slightly, which is normal, due to a change in string gauge and tuning. If so, a setup will most likely be required, which will involve altering the truss rod to correct the bow of the neck, and bridge to correct string height and intonation. </p><p>You may find <a href="https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/7-steps-to-setting-up-your-guitar--audio-5284" rel="external" target="_blank">Fariz Pahlevi's tutorial</a> on setting up a guitar to be helpful. <br></p><h2>
<span class="sectionnum">4.</span> Tuning Tips </h2><p>Always start with the 6th string. Once the strings are tuned, pull on each string about an inch between the neck and the bridge, most likely sending them out of tune. </p><p>Repeat the process until pulling the strings from the fretboard doesn't alter the guitar's tuning. </p><h2>
<span class="sectionnum">5.</span> Multiple Guitars </h2><p>If you're performing live with, for example, three different alternative tunings, ideally you're going to need three different guitars for the following reasons: </p><ol>
<li>Repeated tuning wears on strings.</li>
<li>Strings don't become immediately stable.</li>
<li>Setup will alter—neck relief, string height, and intonation.</li>
<li>Retuning takes time.</li>
</ol><h2>
<span class="sectionnum">6.</span> Types of Guitar Tunings </h2><p>The alternative tunings have been divided into six types: </p><ul>
<li>Dropped—D, Double D and B</li>
<li>Lowered</li>
<li>Open</li>
<li>DAD-GAD</li>
<li>Nashville </li>
<li>Signature </li>
</ul><h3>How to Read the Tuning Tables Below</h3><ul>
<li>The <strong>top row</strong> contains the string numbers—6th string being the lowest in pitch.</li>
<li>The <strong>bottom row</strong> contains the pitches. If a pitch is in bold<b>, </b>then this indicates that this string is in non-standard tuning.</li>
</ul><h3>Dropped</h3><h4>Dropped D</h4><p>Drop D is often the first alternative tuning that everyone tries. It's not surprising given the number of well-known songs that have been created from drop D tuning and that it's quick and easy to do. </p><table><tbody>
<tr>
<td>6th</td>
<td>5th</td>
<td>4th</td>
<td>3rd</td>
<td>2nd</td>
<td>1st</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>D</strong></td>
<td>A</td>
<td>D</td>
<td>G</td>
<td>B</td>
<td>E</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p>Recommended listening: </p><ul>
<li>
<em>Dear Prudence </em>by<em> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19E1JD_v9fI" rel="external" target="_blank">The Beatles</a> <br></em>
</li>
<li>
<em>Go</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URDNO-SovD4" rel="external" target="_blank">Pearl Jam</a>
</li>
</ul><h4>Double Dropped D<br>
</h4><p>The same as dropped D but now with the 1st string detuned to D too. </p><table><tbody>
<tr>
<td>6th</td>
<td>5th</td>
<td>4th</td>
<td>3rd</td>
<td>2nd</td>
<td>1st</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>D</strong></td>
<td>A</td>
<td>D</td>
<td>G</td>
<td>B</td>
<td><strong>D</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p>Recommended listening: <br></p><ul>
<li>
<em>Nobody's Fault But My Own</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9-Xatk0ajM" rel="external" target="_blank">Beck</a> </li>
<li>
<em>Cinnamon Girl</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAdtUDaBfRA" rel="external" target="_blank">Neil Young</a> </li>
</ul><h4>Dropped B</h4><p>Play a power chord on the 6th and 5th strings in dropped B and the playing octaves. </p><table><tbody>
<tr>
<td>6th</td>
<td>5th</td>
<td>4th</td>
<td>3rd</td>
<td>2nd</td>
<td>1st</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>B</strong></td>
<td>A</td>
<td>D</td>
<td>G</td>
<td>B</td>
<td>E</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p>Recommended listening: <br></p><ul>
<li>
<em>The Worm</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiwm_FP6JiM" rel="external" target="_blank">Audioslave</a> </li>
<li>
<em>March of The Fire Ants</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uShqlufsq5w" rel="external" target="_blank">Mastodon</a>
</li>
</ul><h3>Lowered</h3><p>This is when all the strings are lowered but at the same interval. You may find <a href="https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/music-theory-intervals-and-how-to-derive-them--audio-4559" rel="external" target="_blank">Ryan Leach's tutorial</a> helpful on intervals. </p><p>Lowered tuning is often used in hard rock and heavy metal music. Easy to play with guitars that have a high action or larger gauge strings or simply to keep in range with the voice. </p><h4>One Half Step Lower</h4><table><tbody>
<tr>
<td>6th</td>
<td>5th</td>
<td>4th</td>
<td>3rd</td>
<td>2nd</td>
<td>1st</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Eb</b></td>
<td><strong>Ab</strong></td>
<td><strong>Db</strong></td>
<td><strong>Gb</strong></td>
<td><strong>Bb</strong></td>
<td><strong>Eb</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p>Recommended listening:<br></p><ul>
<li>
<em>Voodoo Child </em>by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n07TSnndg8I" rel="external" target="_blank">Jimi Hendrix</a> </li>
<li>
<em>The God That Failed</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD0NJuDHTMA" rel="external" target="_blank">Metallica</a> <br>
</li>
</ul><h4>Two Full Steps Lower </h4><table><tbody>
<tr>
<td>6th</td>
<td>5th</td>
<td>4th</td>
<td>3rd</td>
<td>2nd</td>
<td>1st</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>C</b></td>
<td><strong>F</strong></td>
<td><strong>Bb</strong></td>
<td><b>Eb</b></td>
<td><b>G</b></td>
<td><b>C</b></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p>Recommended listening:<br></p><ul>
<li>
<em>No One Knows</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s88r_q7oufE" rel="external" target="_blank">Queens Of The Stone Age</a> </li>
<li>
<em>The Everlasting Gaze</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWJYaep-0sg" rel="external" target="_blank">The Smashing Pumpkins</a> </li>
</ul><h3>Open</h3><p>Open tuning is where you tune a guitar to a chord. </p><p>So, for example, if you strummed the open strings without fretting them, it would play a chord. It can also be good for complete beginners, as you only have to use one finger to barre the strings to perform a different chord. </p><p>This tuning is also useful for rhythm or slide guitar.</p><h4>Open G</h4><p>As the root is played from the 5th string, it's not uncommon to remove the 6th string from the guitar. </p><table><tbody>
<tr>
<td>6th</td>
<td>5th</td>
<td>4th</td>
<td>3rd</td>
<td>2nd</td>
<td>1st</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>D</strong></td>
<td><strong>G</strong></td>
<td>D</td>
<td>G</td>
<td>B</td>
<td><strong>D</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p>Recommended listening: </p><ul>
<li>
<em>Walking Blues</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&amp;v=MEsQikthT3Q" target="_self">Robert Johnson </a> </li>
<li>
<em>Fearless</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl_apx8JoMw" target="_self">Pink Floyd</a> <br>
</li>
</ul><h4>Open D</h4><p>The open D often has more bass to the sound than open G. This is due to the root note of the chord being on the 6th string, unlike the open G above where the root lies on the 5th string. </p><table><tbody>
<tr>
<td>6th</td>
<td>5th </td>
<td>4th</td>
<td>3rd</td>
<td>2nd</td>
<td>1st</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>D</strong></td>
<td>A</td>
<td>D</td>
<td><strong>F#</strong></td>
<td><strong>A</strong></td>
<td><strong>D</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p>Recommended listening: <br></p><ul>
<li>
<em>Time for Me to Fly</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4uvS9l-FcQ" rel="external" target="_blank">REO Speedwagon </a> </li>
<li>
<em>It Hurts Me Too</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzr1Rfn-P4Y" target="_self">Elmore James</a> </li>
</ul><h3>DAD-GAD</h3><p>Sometimes referred to as <em>Celtic tuning</em>, this catchily named tuning has found its way into folk and rock music. </p><table><tbody>
<tr>
<td>6th</td>
<td>5th</td>
<td>4th</td>
<td>3rd</td>
<td>2nd</td>
<td>1st</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>D</strong></td>
<td>A</td>
<td>D</td>
<td>G</td>
<td><strong>A</strong></td>
<td><strong>D</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p>Recommended listening: </p><ul>
<li>
<em>Ain't No Grave</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0MIFHLIzZY" target="_self">Johnny Cash</a> </li>
<li>
<em>Save It for Later</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSWdug1HiCg" rel="external" target="_blank">Pete Townshend</a> </li>
</ul><h3>Nashville</h3><p>Nashville tuning was born in the home of country music. This doesn't mean that it is used by country musicians only. It's the same notes as standard tuning, but with the lower four strings (6th, 5th, 4th, and 3rd) pitched an octave higher. </p><table><tbody>
<tr>
<td>6th</td>
<td>5th</td>
<td>4th</td>
<td>3rd</td>
<td>2nd</td>
<td>1st</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>E</strong></td>
<td><strong>A</strong></td>
<td><strong>D</strong></td>
<td><strong>G</strong></td>
<td>B</td>
<td>E</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p>The EADG strings should be replaced with lighter unwound string gauges. You might want to read <a href="https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-use-the-nashville-tuning--audio-5337" target="_self">Toby Pitman's tutorial</a> for a more in-depth look at Nashville tuning. </p><p>Recommended listening: </p><ul>
<li>
<em>Dust in the Wind</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH2w6Oxx0kQ" rel="external" target="_blank">Kansas</a> </li>
<li>
<em>Skyway</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FED6AHlXXaA" rel="external" target="_blank">The Replacements</a> </li>
</ul><h3>Signature Tunings</h3><p>Throughout guitar history, artists have made a huge number of inspiring tones. These sounds aren't always created from amps and effect pedals alone. Below are a few guitarists who have sculptured their own sounds by exploring alternative tunings that they have made their own. </p><h4>Sonic Youth </h4><table><tbody>
<tr>
<td>6th</td>
<td>5th</td>
<td>4th</td>
<td>3rd</td>
<td>2nd</td>
<td>1st</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>F#</strong></td>
<td><strong>F#</strong></td>
<td><strong>F#</strong></td>
<td><strong>F#</strong></td>
<td><strong>E</strong></td>
<td><strong>B</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p>Recommended listening: </p><ul><li>
<em>Pipeline/Kill time</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbFS8Fet0MI" target="_self">Sonic Youth</a> </li></ul><h4>My Bloody Valentine </h4><table><tbody>
<tr>
<td>6th</td>
<td>5th</td>
<td>4th</td>
<td>3rd</td>
<td>2nd</td>
<td>1st</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>F#</strong></td>
<td><strong>F#</strong></td>
<td><strong>F#</strong></td>
<td><strong>F#</strong></td>
<td><strong>C</strong></td>
<td><strong>F#</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p>Recommended listening: <br></p><ul><li>
<em>Swoon</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft56il9bGMk" target="_self">My Bloody Valentine</a>
</li></ul><h4>Nick Drake</h4><table><tbody>
<tr>
<td>6th</td>
<td>5th</td>
<td>4th</td>
<td>3rd</td>
<td>2nd</td>
<td>1st</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>G</strong></td>
<td><strong>G</strong></td>
<td><strong>D</strong></td>
<td>G</td>
<td>B</td>
<td><strong>D</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p>Recommended listening: <br></p><ul><li>
<em>Place to Be</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obOWSCmzEAY" rel="external" target="_blank">Nick Drake</a>
</li></ul><h4>Jimmy Page</h4><table><tbody>
<tr>
<td>6th</td>
<td>5th</td>
<td>4th</td>
<td>3rd</td>
<td>2nd</td>
<td>1st</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>C</strong></td>
<td>A</td>
<td><strong>C</strong></td>
<td>G</td>
<td><strong>C</strong></td>
<td>E</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p>Recommended listening: <br></p><ul><li>
<em>Friends</em> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl_2uqYW6FM" rel="external" target="_blank">Led Zeppelin </a> </li></ul><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Alternative tuning can open up a whole new world of possibilities. I hope this tutorial inspires you to write a first piece of music in nonstandard tuning and maybe even to create your own tuning, giving you and your music an individual identity. </p>2018-11-08T07:30:18.000Z2018-11-08T07:30:18.000ZKarl Skivingtontag:music.tutsplus.com,2005:PostPresenter/cms-31880Capturing Lifelike Guitar Sounds Without Microphones: Part 2<p>In the previous <a href="https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/capturing-lifelike-guitar-sounds-without-microphones-part-1--cms-31745?_ga=2.113515278.823194188.1537290192-76165737.1521032952" rel="external" target="_blank">tutorial</a> I showed you how <em>Impulse Responses</em> (IRs) have revolutionised the world of recording over the past 20 years. What started out as a way of creating authentic reverbs by modelling physical spaces has diversified significantly.</p><p>They're increasingly relevant to guitarists, as IRs are used in studios to replicate the sounds of speaker cabinets, and indeed, whole recording chains. They're quick, simple to use, readily available and significantly cheaper than their hardware counterparts.</p><p>Let’s look at how this is typically achieved.</p><h2>Hardware or Software</h2><h3>Hardware</h3><p>By this I’m referring to using an amp, or perhaps even just a pedal, as there are an increasing number of <em>‘amp-in-a-box’</em> pedals available. Perhaps it’s an advanced modelling unit, such as the <a href="https://uk.line6.com/helix/" target="_self">Line6 Helix</a>, or <a href="https://www.fractalaudio.com/" target="_self">Fractal Audio’s AxeFX</a>.</p><p>If it’s the amp, check to see if it can handle <em>silent recording</em>. This is an amp with a built-in loading facility so it doesn’t require speakers. If the amp doesn’t do this, you must either connect some speakers to it, or use a reactive load box. Failure to do either could result in permanent damage to the amp.</p><p>If it’s anything other than an amp, you can connect it straight to your DAW’s interface.</p><h3>Software</h3><p>If you don’t have an amp, or don’t want to use it, everything can be done <em>‘in the box’</em>. Some DAWs, such as <strong>Logic Pro X</strong>, come with a built-in amp simulator. Failing that, there are a number of great plugins, such as <a href="https://www.positivegrid.com/bias-fx/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxKOw5I3H3QIVzL3tCh18KgJxEAAYASACEgKsw_D_BwE" target="_self">Positive Grid’s BIAS FX</a>. I use some of the amps from <a href="https://www.brainworx.audio/products.html" target="_self">Brainworx</a>, as they’re highly detailed.</p><p>Some software, such as the amp sims from <a href="https://www.kuassa.com/products/" target="_self">Kuassa</a>, come with the facility to load IRs. If it doesn’t, make sure that any cabinet emulation can be disabled, as you’re going to use an IR loader.</p><h3>IR Loader</h3><p>This is either hardware or software to house and run the IRs accordingly. One of the most ubiquitous pieces of hardware currently is the <a href="https://www.two-notes.com/en/torpedo-studio" rel="external" target="_blank">Torpedo Studio</a> from Two Notes.</p><p>If you’re working <em>‘in the box’</em>, software IR loaders are available. There are some free ones but I chose to buy <a href="https://www.3sigmaaudio.com/impulsive/" rel="external" target="_blank">Impulsive</a> from 3Sigma Audio, as it has a greater range of controls, plus the ability to load more than one IR simultaneously. This latter feature allows you to blend cabinets.</p><p>Once you’re all set up, you can audition sounds before or after recording. This is especially useful as your mix evolves, and will avoid having to re-record parts just to make them fit in.</p><h3>A Choice Of Speakers</h3><p>Some IR loaders come with some free IRs, and you can also find some collections via an internet search.</p><p>But, if you’re prepared to spend a relatively small amount of money, you can purchase some high quality IRs, and that’ll really make a difference to your recordings.</p><p><a href="https://www.celestionplus.com/" rel="external" target="_blank">Celestion</a> is a world-famous manufacturer of speakers, particularly when it comes to guitar. In an extremely forward-thinking move, they’re now offering their speakers as IRs.</p><p>Lots of companies also offer models of Celestion speakers, as well as those of other manufacturers. I’ve found the IRs from <a href="https://www.3sigmaaudio.com/" rel="external" target="_blank">3Sigma Audio</a> and <a href="https://www.ownhammer.com/store/" rel="external" target="_blank">Ownhammer</a> to be particularly good.</p><p>So IRs are great for recording, but the really exciting aspect is their usage in the live environment.</p><h2>Going Electric</h2><p>Whether you’re playing to thousands all over the world, or just the occasional pub gig of a weekend, your set-up’s always a balancing act between the gear you’ve got, the sounds you want, and physically transporting it to and from the venue. </p><p>Unless you’re a touring juggernaut like U2, you’re unlikely to take large amounts of equipment with you, so you have to design a portable rig.</p><p>Consequently, more guitarists are starting to come around to the idea of using modelling equipment and IRs, especially if the equipment’s expensive, rare or even vintage.</p><p>Many have embraced <a href="https://www.kemper-amps.com/" rel="external" target="_blank">Kemper</a>. </p><p>Just like IRs, Kemper developed a way of modelling the characteristics of any physical amp with extraordinary clarity. Touring guitarists often model their favourite amps, allowing them to take their cherished sounds on the road whilst leaving the amps safely at home. Kemper even now do an amp head version, meaning that no additional power amp’s required.</p><p>Kemper, and others like it, allow you to load IRs or use the onboard ones. These are great pieces of kit but, unsurprisingly, are far from cheap.</p><h3>Pedalboard</h3><p>Thankfully, pedalboard-friendly products are starting to appear with some less than a tenth the price of pro kit such as Kemper.</p><p>For example, the <a href="https://atomicamps.com/amplifirebox/" rel="external" target="_blank">Ampli-Firebox</a> from Atomic is a preamp that can sit at the end of the pedalboard and plug straight into a PA via XLR connections. It not only emulates amplifiers, but hosts its own IRs, as well as third-party ones.</p><p>An even cheaper but no less exciting option is the <a href="http://www.mooeraudio.com/?product/201709227917.html" rel="external" target="_blank">Mooer Radar</a>. This is an IR loader in a compact pedal format. Like the Ampli-Firebox, it comes with its own IRs, and will host others. This pedal would therefore allow you to connect the preamp of choice.</p><p>You could therefore have a complete rig on your pedalboard without any need for a physical guitar amp. You would of course need some sort of monitoring, however, in order to hear yourself. In any case, this is an ideal set-up for the travelling guitarist.</p><h2>Acoustic</h2><p>In the previous tutorial I showed you the difficulties of recording an acoustic guitar with microphones, in terms of consistency of tone, and so on. Thankfully, IRs now give us a very usable solution.</p><p>3Sigma Audio offer IRs of acoustic instruments, so not just guitars, but mandolins and even strings such as the cello. You can therefore record your guitar direct, using its onboard piezo pickup, and then overlay the IR of a mic’d guitar. Furthermore, thanks to a pedal such as Mooer’s Radar, you could do that live. No more quacky piezo.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>The world of IRs represents some real advantages to both recording and touring guitarists. If you’ve not tried them, I encourage you to do so, as they allow you to:</p><ul>
<li>Leave your gear at home</li>
<li>Access sounds from equipment at a fraction of the cost</li>
<li>Audition tones before and after recording</li>
<li>Get great reliable sound without microphones</li>
</ul>2018-10-29T07:30:39.000Z2018-10-29T07:30:39.000ZPhilip Ockelfordtag:music.tutsplus.com,2005:PostPresenter/cms-31745Capturing Lifelike Guitar Sounds Without Microphones: Part 1<p>If you're recording anything acoustically, or playing live through a PA, microphones remain the usual and accepted route for capturing guitar sounds. From studio exotica costing thousands of pounds down to handheld and USB devices, the microphone reigns supreme.</p><p>As popular as this is, however, there are some drawbacks.</p><p>The relationship between the mic and its source needs to remain the same. The slightest movement in any plane of direction can change both the tone and volume of what’s captured. Anyone who's tried overdubbing an acoustic guitar part will know the challenge of creating a consistent recording.</p><p>Then there's the question of noise. Whether it comes from the recording space or stage, the player, the instrument, or even the recording equipment, all this can diminish the resultant quality.</p><p>You may believe that there's no alternative.</p><h2>DI</h2><p>This stands for <em>Direct Injection</em>, and refers to connecting an instrument electronically to an amplifier or recording device. For guitarists, whether recording or playing live, DI means capturing sound via the instrument’s onboard pickups.</p><p>For acoustic guitars, the most common pickup is the <em>piezo</em>. A crystal located under the guitar’s saddle, it translates vibrations from the strings into a small electrical signal.</p><p>Coupled to an onboard or external preamp, this is the sound audiences hear.</p><p>It certainly gets around the issues of using mics, and is ideal for a noisy live environment. However, because the piezo’s at the bridge, it captures the sound of the strings, but very little of the guitar’s body. It's okay for live work, especially in the context of a larger band sound. For recording, however, definitely not.</p><p>As for electric guitars, <em>electromagnetic</em> pickups are the norm. You can DI them very easily, but as with an acoustic guitar, you won’t get the sound you expect to hear, as you’re missing crucial elements of the overall sound, such as an amp and its speakers.</p><p>What is required, therefore, is something that sounds as good as a microphone recording, but with all the benefits of DI.</p><p>Thankfully, there’s a way to achieve this.</p><h2>Impulse Responses (IRs)</h2><p>I first came across these nearly 20 years ago. I’d just finished recording with a band, and the engineer was creating rough mixes. He knew I was interested in recording and production, so he clicked on a plugin, and said, <em>“Listen to this”</em>.</p><p>The sound of my band was suddenly given a really <em>live</em>, cohesive feel, despite having tracked each part separately in an sound-deadened room. The plugin was imprinting the recording with the acoustics of a rural church somewhere in the middle of the American Mid-West. </p><p>I was fascinated both by how lifelike it sounded, and the possibilities it represented.</p><h3>How Impulse Responses Work</h3><p>An impulse response is a measurement taken of anything that deals with acoustics, be it a space, a speaker, or an instrument. Particular audio signals are either played through it or into it, and the resultant response is captured. Whatever this response is applied to then exhibits the characteristics of the original.</p><p>To start with, IRs were usually limited to reverb plugins, with <a href="https://www.audioease.com/altiverb/" rel="external" target="_blank">Altiverb</a> being one of the most well-known.</p><p>Reverbs still remain the most ubiquitous use of IRs, to the point where some DAWs have IR-capable plugins as standard. Logic’s <a href="https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-use-space-designer-in-logic--audio-1986" rel="external" target="_blank">Space Designer</a> is one such example.</p><p>But as technology and processing power advanced, IRs have moved beyond just reverbs and this is where guitarists get involved. </p><p>In the next tutorial I’ll examine acoustic guitars, but for now, I'll show you how IRs assist the recording of electric guitar amplifiers.</p><h2>Electrickery</h2><p>To this day, recording the sound of an amp and its associated speakers usually involves one or more mics being placed strategically around it. Even live, most sound engineers expect to mic up a guitarist’s combo or cabinet.</p><p>Some amplifiers have an <em>emulated speaker output</em>. This allows a DI connection between the amp and either a DAW interface or PA system. They’re very useful, but they’re slightly misleading. </p><p>The <em>emulated speaker</em> is in fact the application of EQ to create a reasonable facsimile of a guitar speaker. It does the job, but doesn’t fully capture how a speaker works, or indeed, the influence of the speaker cabinet on the resultant sound.</p><p>An increasingly common occurrence in studios is to DI the amp and then use IRs to apply the sound of speaker cabinets. </p><p>There are several reasons why this is a good idea.</p><h3>Record Silently</h3><p>Valve amps in particular really come alive as volume increases, but this isn’t always appropriate to every recording situation. Using DI means you can crank the amp without the resultant high levels of volume.</p><p>A word of caution, however.</p><p>Amps are designed to supply certain levels of current in order to drive speakers. If the speakers aren’t there, the current has nowhere to go, which can cause permanent damage to the output transformer<b>. </b></p><p>If you wish to record silently, and thus cannot attach speakers, you’ll need to use a <a href="https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/22402-tone-tips-the-lowdown-on-load-boxes-attenuators-and-reamps" rel="external" target="_blank">reactive load box</a>.</p><h3>You Don’t Need Expensive Mics</h3><p>Nor do you need mic preamps, an acoustically-treated space, or even knowledge of mic placement.</p><h3>You Don’t Need a Selection of Speakers</h3><p>Instead of spending thousands on different speakers and cabs, you can select from a huge range of IRs.</p><h3>You Can Change the Tone</h3><p>If you're not happy with the sound, just change the IR. This also means you can audition different speakers until you’re happy.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>IRs are becoming more and more popular, and with good reason. They represent sounds of spaces and equipment at your fingertips that you wouldn’t otherwise have access to. </p><p>Going direct means:</p><ul>
<li>You get a consistent tone</li>
<li>Noise becomes less of an issue</li>
<li>The recording environment is less critical</li>
<li>You can change the sound during or after the recording</li>
<li>It’s a lot cheaper than owning lots of physical equipment</li>
</ul><p>In the next tutorial I’ll show how IRs benefit acoustic guitars and their usage in the live environment.</p>2018-09-04T16:53:50.491Z2018-09-04T16:53:50.491ZPhilip Ockelfordtag:music.tutsplus.com,2005:PostPresenter/cms-31690How to Sound Like Two Guitarists at Once: Part 3<p>In the previous <a href="https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-sound-like-two-guitarists-at-once-part-2--cms-31575?_ga=2.251528448.700495790.1534420675-76165737.1521032952" rel="external" target="_blank">tutorial</a> I looked at effects pedals to broaden the sound. Here you'll think much bigger by delving into dual amps.</p><h2>Dual Amps</h2><p>The thinking here is very simple. If there are two guitarists, there’d be two amps. Consider, for a moment, doing the same thing on your own.</p><p>Two amps gives you the ability to expand the sound, mix different amp types and use stereo effects such as delay or chorus. One guitarist can create a truly massive, rich and detailed sound using this method. </p><p>Here's two common configurations:</p><h3>Stereo</h3><p>Like any audio system, stereo means having two or more outputs instead of one. However, simply having two speakers—for example, a 2x12 speaker cabinet—isn't the same.</p><p>A truly stereo set-up means spreading the sound beyond that of a single speaker, or sending different sounds to separate speakers.</p><h3>Wet/Dry</h3><p>This is similar to stereo, but separates the sound by having the <em>wet</em> amp handling effects, and the <em>dry</em> producing the straight guitar sound. </p><p>The advantage of this is getting all of the lush sounds from the effects but maintaining the clarity of the straight guitar sound. Adjusting the wet/dry balance means turning the wet amp’s volume up or down.</p><h2>Practicalities</h2><p>Before committing to dual amps, consider these factors:</p><h3>Cost</h3><p>Not everything has to be expensive, but there are inherently more parts to a dual rig. Accordingly, the cost’ll be higher.</p><h3>Storage</h3><p>All this equipment’s got to go somewhere, so make sure you have the room before you commit.</p><h3>Transport</h3><p>Whether it’s gigs or rehearsals, you’ve got to get everything to and from home. Consider whether you have space to transport the extra kit. It'll come down to what sort of vehicle you have available.</p><h3>Suitability</h3><p>More gear means occupying a bigger footprint. If you’re playing pub gigs in cramped conditions, the rig occupying the entire stage won’t make you popular.</p><h2>Sound Issues</h2><p>There are two main problems to overcome when using two or more amps.</p><ul>
<li>Polarity</li>
<li>Ground Loop</li>
</ul><h3>Polarity</h3><p>Greater distance between amps means a broader sound. Both amps, however, produce the same signal, and if either arrives at the listener’s ears at different times, <em>phase cancellation</em> can occur. In other words, frequencies cancel each other out, creating a thin sound. In this instance, <em>phase reversal</em> is required.</p><h3>Ground Loop</h3><p>A whole series of tutorials could be written on this subject, so I’ll try to keep it brief.</p><p>Both Amp A and Amp B are mains-powered and are therefore connected to ground in the circuit through their respective power cables. </p><p>Once the amps are connected via audio cables, there’s more than one path to ground, creating a <em>closed loop</em>. Stray magnetic fields—usually oscillating at 50 or 60Hz—can induce a current in this loop, creating a consistent humming noise. The solution is to electronically isolate one device from the other.</p><p><b>Under no circumstances should you remove the ground connection from one of the amps</b>. Doing so could have lethal consequences.</p><p>Assuming you still want to do this, let’s look at what you’ll need.</p><h2>The Basics</h2><p>Obviously, you’ll need two amps.</p><p>However, they don’t necessarily have to be the same make and model. Indeed, one of the attractions of this set-up is to create a new sound by blending different amps. For many years <a href="https://youtu.be/fgWaYanW3GQ?t=3m54s" rel="external" target="_blank">Joe Bonamassa</a> used <strong>FOUR</strong> different amps since no single amp does everything.</p><p>This idea makes sense. Some dual, or multi-channel, amps have a great clean sound but a disappointing dirty sound or vice-versa. So choose your preferred clean amp then use a completely separate amp for dirt.</p><h3>Hooking It Up</h3><p>For the sake of simplicity, let’s ignore pedals for one moment and simply plug straight into both amps.</p><h3>One to the Other</h3><p>Assuming you intend to run both amps simultaneously, one way to connect both amps is to use the <em>effects loop</em> on Amp A.</p><p>Running a guitar cable from the SEND of Amp A’s FX loop gives you an output. Where you connect it on Amp B depends on what you want to do with your second amp.</p><p>You could connect it to the main input of Amp B. This gives you full control over the sound of Amp B because you can still use its preamp, EQ and so on.</p><p>The alternative is to connect Amp A’s SEND to Amp B’s RETURN. Amp B is now a<em>slave</em> to Amp A, as you’ve bypassed Amp B’s preamp.</p><p>Either option means that Amp B is receiving the amplified signal from Amp A, and not the original un-amplified signal from your guitar. You also run the risk of the aforementioned ground loop.</p><h3>Stereo Effects</h3><p>Some pedals, such as delay and modulation, are stereo in that they have two inputs and two outputs.</p><p>As per the previous example, you can route the signal of Amp A through the stereo pedal in order to send a signal to Amp B.</p><p>If you do this, you’re no longer getting just the dry signal, and are entering the realms of wet/dry, which I’ll come to shortly.</p><h3>Amp Switching</h3><p>Although slaving one amp to another is the simplest way to go, if you want to switch between amps you’ll need a switch. These are known as <em>line selectors</em> or <em>A/B pedals</em>.</p><p>Put simply, they split the guitar signal and send it to either Amp A or Amp B. If you have an <em>ABY switch</em>, you can select either amp or both.</p><p>Some switches come with phase reversal options, solving the polarity issue described earlier. Switches with isolated transformers will also be helpful should you encounter a ground loop and, whilst more expensive, are the preferred option.</p><h3>Wet/Dry</h3><p>As mentioned before, this nominates one amp for your clean or dirty signal, and one amp purely for effects.</p><p>Here’s how it works with an ABY pedal.</p><ul>
<li>The guitar plugs into the ABY pedal</li>
<li>The ABY pedal is set for Y so that both amps work simultaneously</li>
<li>Output A goes to Amp A</li>
<li>Output B goes to Amp B via your effects pedals</li>
</ul><p>You can choose between Output B plugging into the main input of Amp B, or into its FX loop RETURN. The difference is whether or not you want your effects to pass through the amp’s preamp.</p><p>There are of course many other ways to set up either stereo or wet/dry rigs, but the ones I’ve presented here are the simplest.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>A lot more complicated and expensive method, but one that produce huge results. Bear in mind:</p><ul>
<li>Polarity and ground loops</li>
<li>Try different amps in combination</li>
<li>Experiment with how you connect the amps</li>
<li>Factor in cost, transportation, and so on</li>
<li>Have fun, be experimental!</li>
</ul>2018-08-06T11:00:47.000Z2018-08-06T11:00:47.000ZPhilip Ockelfordtag:music.tutsplus.com,2005:PostPresenter/cms-31575How to Sound Like Two Guitarists at Once: Part 2<p>In the previous <a href="https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-sound-like-two-guitarists-at-once-part-1--cms-31375?_ga=2.110582853.1758799030.1532514832-76165737.1521032952" rel="external" target="_blank">tutorial</a>, I highlighted playing techniques for fleshing out lead guitar parts. In this tutorial I'll suggest some useful gear.</p><h2>Delay</h2><p>A common effect every guitarist should own, it’s a great way to fill out the sound.</p><p>Bear the following in mind when using delay:</p><ul>
<li>Set feedback and mix/wet/dry settings carefully to avoid drowning out the original sound</li>
<li>Getting the timing wrong and it creates a confused sound</li>
<li>Making a mistake means living with it more than once</li>
</ul><p>Here are some useful examples for you to try.</p><h3>Slapback</h3><figure class="post_image"><img alt="The JHS Milkman pedal" data-src="https://cms-assets.tutsplus.com/uploads/users/31/posts/31575/image/MilkMan.jpg"><figcaption>The JHS Milkman pedal</figcaption></figure><p>Associated with rockabilly, country, and more, this uses a short delay time of typically 40-120 milliseconds, with just one or two repeats. It provides a great bedrock for your playing, as well as apparently doing half the work.</p><p>Here’s an appropriate example courtesy of the <a href="https://youtu.be/JU54WrpgSEU" rel="external" target="_blank">JHS Milkman pedal</a> (£169).</p><h3>Dotted 8th</h3><p>If the term is unfamiliar, I have two words to say to you.</p><p>The Edge.</p><p>It’s the sound of U2, of classics such as <a href="https://youtu.be/3FsrPEUt2Dg" rel="external" target="_blank">Where The Streets Have No Name</a>.</p><p>If you play on each beat of a 4/4 time signature, and set the delay to 1/8 notes, the repeat would fall between each beat. Essentially, you’d play the <em>on beat</em>, with the delay playing the <em>off beat</em>.</p><h4>The Dotted 1/8th Explained</h4><p>A little maths now follows, so be warned.</p><ul>
<li>1/8th can also be expressed as 2/16ths</li>
<li>A dotted note adds 50% of the note’s value</li>
<li>A dotted 1/8th is 2/16ths plus (50% of 2/16ths = 1/16th), or 3/16ths</li>
</ul><p>Unlike the 1/8th note delay example, where each repeat falls between the beats, a dotted 1/8th delay causes the repeats to be offset. Even if you’re playing metronomically in 1/8ths, the dotted 1/8 delay sounds like triplets, creating a bubbling, propulsive feel.</p><h3>Harmony</h3><p>In the previous <a href="https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-sound-like-two-guitarists-at-once-part-1--cms-31375?_ga=2.110582853.1758799030.1532514832-76165737.1521032952" rel="external" target="_blank">tutorial</a>, I talked about stacking notes to create harmonies. Instead of fretting all the relevant notes simultaneously, you can use delay instead.</p><p>A master of this is Queen’s <a href="https://youtu.be/N1QFXAyNoC8" rel="external" target="_blank">Brian May</a>. He uses two delays—one set at 600ms, and the other at 1200ms. From this he builds chords in the following manner:</p><ul>
<li>0ms: The root note of C is played</li>
<li>600ms: The note of E is played as the <em>first</em> repeat of C occurs</li>
<li>1200ms: The note of G is played as the <em>second</em> repeat of C AND the <em>first</em> repeat of E occur</li>
</ul><p>At 0ms you have just the note of C, but by 1200ms you have the <em>chord</em> of C Major.</p><p>It’s worth trying, but timing is critical, as this will only work if notes and repeats coincide.</p><h3>Other Delay Considerations</h3><ul>
<li>Use <em>reverb</em> with delay, as this further lengthens and broadens the sound</li>
<li>An expression pedal can fade delay in and out, which sounds more organic than simply switching it off</li>
<li>Lots of feedback. Players like <a href="https://youtu.be/yz1RIwxYsCQ?t=4m8s" rel="external" target="_blank">John Martyn</a> used this to create a continuous wash of sound. This can be especially useful for soloists. Be careful how you set the wet/dry mix, though.</li>
</ul><h2>Harmoniser</h2><p>Of course, if you don't want to create harmony yourself, there are dedicated pedals to do it for you.</p><p>However, consider fixed or adaptive.</p><h3>Fixed</h3><p>This refers to a fixed harmonic interval, an example of which is an octave pedal. Whatever passes through the pedal will be shifted up or down by an octave, or multiples thereof.</p><h3>Adaptive</h3><p>If you need the harmonic interval to change, you need an <em>adaptive</em> pedal.</p><p>Here’s an example of why this matters.</p><ul>
<li>If you play the note of C, and you want your harmony to be E, set the harmoniser to produce a MAJOR 3rd.</li>
<li>However, if your next note is D, and you want to stay in the key of C, the desired harmony is F, which is a MINOR 3rd.</li>
<li>If the interval is fixed, playing D would produce a harmony of F#, a flattened 5th in the key of C, which sounds nasty.</li>
</ul><p>An adaptive pedal can be set to follow a specific key, or recognise the correct harmony from the incoming signal. The <a href="https://youtu.be/Xe-Vy3HDyQ4" rel="external" target="_blank">BOSS PS-6 Harmonist</a> (£120) is a popular and feature-rich choice.</p><p>As with pedals of this type, set the wet mix low, as higher settings will sound far less convincing.</p><h2>Looping</h2><p>This idea started when <a href="https://youtu.be/m2X_j9Ev7xA" rel="external" target="_blank">Les Paul</a> got his first tape machine in the late 1940s. The Beatles used looping to incredible effect in the recording of <a href="https://youtu.be/pHNbHn3i9S4" rel="external" target="_blank">Tomorrow Never Knows</a>.</p><p>But it's become a popular live tool in the last decade. For example, KT Tunstall’s 2004 appearance on Jools Holland’s <a href="https://youtu.be/FGT0A2Hz-uk" rel="external" target="_blank">’Later…’</a> programme practically launched her career with just a Gibson acoustic guitar, a tambourine, and an Akai Head Rush looper pedal.</p><p>Whilst she used this to augment her role as a soloist, it’s still relevant in a band setting.</p><p>For example, you could record a rhythm part, and then solo over the top of it—no second guitarist required. Or, just like delay, you could record one lead part, then immediately play a harmony along with it.</p><p>Like delay, you do need to be extremely aware of your timing. Unlike delay, however, the ideas are not limited to the number of repeats. They’ll continue until the looper’s switched off, <em>and</em> you can layer up ideas.</p><p>A simple starting point is TC Electronic’s pedalboard-friendly <a href="https://youtu.be/IZCok4OYVOk" rel="external" target="_blank">Ditto</a> (£80). It has a single footswitch, and is also a great practice tool. If you really want to get into it, the <a href="https://youtu.be/FGpnHIRoAiw" rel="external" target="_blank">BOSS RC-30</a> (£150) is comprehensive, allowing you to store loops in patches, and connect it to your desktop for importing or exporting audio.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Some simple, readily-available tools can really bolster the sound. Bear in mind the following:</p><ul>
<li>When using delay, watch the timing</li>
<li>Be careful about the number of repeats</li>
<li>Setting the wet/dry mix correctly is critical</li>
<li>An adaptive harmoniser is more versatile</li>
<li>A looper pedal has a whole range of applications</li>
</ul><p>In the next tutorial, I’ll look at going for a really big sound by using a stereo rig.</p>2018-07-18T10:30:46.000Z2018-07-18T10:30:46.000ZPhilip Ockelfordtag:music.tutsplus.com,2005:PostPresenter/cms-31375How to Sound Like Two Guitarists at Once: Part 1<p>Some of my <a href="https://tutsplus.com/authors/philip-ockelford" rel="external" target="_blank">previous tutorials</a> have advocated sculpting your sound in order to benefit the band. In this tutorial, however, it’s time to go the other way and make as much noise as possible.</p><h2>When More is Better</h2><p>In my first band I was the only guitar player, which was extremely liberating as you’ve got the room to play whatever you want.</p><p>I quickly discovered a problem. My rhythm playing consisted of big chords, usually with generous amounts of distortion, which created an impressively huge noise.</p><p>But when the solo came around, that very sound diminished significantly, producing not just a drop in volume, but a loss of energy. Crucially, the song dipped when it should’ve soared.</p><p>My problem was lot of notes in my chords versus single notes for my solo. I had to restore the balance and what follows are some ideas to overcome this issue.</p><h2>Harmony</h2><p>This is often categorised as something done by twin- and multi-guitar bands, such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_Lizzy" rel="external" target="_blank">Thin Lizzy</a> or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynyrd_Skynyrd" rel="external" target="_blank">Lynyrd Skynyrd</a>. A single player, however, can achieve some very good results with a little knowledge and some practise.</p><p>Here are some useful harmonies to try out.</p><h3>Thirds</h3><p>This is the most common harmony. In very simple terms, if you’re playing the first note of a scale, the third note would become the harmony.</p><p>For example, the key of C major looks like this:</p><p><strong>C D E F G A B C</strong></p><p>You would therefore play the notes of C and E simultaneously to achieve the desired harmony.</p><p>Another way to consider it is <em>‘pick one, miss one, pick one’</em>. In our example, <em>pick C, miss D, pick E</em>.</p><p>You can apply this idea at any point in the scale, giving you:</p><ul>
<li><strong>D and F</strong></li>
<li><strong>E and G</strong></li>
<li><strong>F and A</strong></li>
<li><strong>G and B</strong></li>
<li><strong>A and C</strong></li>
<li><strong>B and D</strong></li>
</ul><p>You’ll hear this harmony in <a href="https://youtu.be/UfmkgQRmmeE" rel="external" target="_blank"><em>Brown-Eyed Girl by Van Morrison</em></a>. The basic guitar melody in bar two is G, A, B, A, G, but these notes are then harmonised in thirds, giving a fuller, sweeter sound. </p><p>In terms of guitar, it’s played on the B and E strings, and are either one or two frets apart. It’s an instant, easy harmony.</p><p>Although I’ve highlighted major scales here, it works equally well in minor keys.</p><h3>Fourths</h3><p>The one finger harmony for guitarists, as, with the exception of the G and B strings, our instrument’s tuned in fourths. Not as sweet-sounding as thirds or sixths, this is just about creating fatness.</p><p>The mother of all examples has to be Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple. Fourths are perfect here, as single notes wouldn’t have had the same impact, and full-blown chords would’ve been too much information.</p><h3>Fifths</h3><p>More commonly known as <em>power chords</em>. However, just because they’re associated with chugging away on the low strings shouldn’t limit you accordingly. </p><p>Try playing them on the B and E strings. The shape is identical to that used on the low strings, and you’ll find it adds a powerful brightness.</p><h3>Sixths</h3><p>Another really popular harmony, used a lot in country, blues and pop tunes.</p><p>This involves playing notes that are two strings apart, such as the D and B strings, or G and E strings. You can play these in a single strum provided you mute the aforementioned string. </p><p>I would recommend <em>hybrid picking</em>, as this produces a cleaner sound, more balanced sound. A typical example is from bar 3 of <a href="https://youtu.be/ec0XKhAHR5I" rel="external" target="_blank"><em>Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival</em></a>.</p><p>Although it’s more commonly found in major keys, it can be used for minor keys as well.</p><h3>Octaves</h3><p>A common harmony found in jazz and funk, this instantly creates a <em>‘doubling’</em> effect, and is a great way of lifting dull, low-sounding phrases.</p><p>On the E and A strings, the octave’s found two strings over and two frets up. For example, the octave of A on the E string, fret 5 is the D string, fret 7.</p><p>On the D and G strings, the octave’s two strings over and three frets up. For example, the octave of A on the D string, fret 7 is the B string, fret 10.</p><p>A master of octaves was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wes_Montgomery" rel="external" target="_blank">Wes Montgomery</a>, and among so many examples is <a href="https://youtu.be/MOm17yw__6U?t=1m23s" rel="external" target="_blank"><em>Round Midnight</em>.</a></p><h3>Open Strings</h3><p>These creates great support for any lead phrase, and there are two main ways to employ them.</p><h4>Same String</h4><p><a href="https://youtu.be/v2AC41dglnM" rel="external" target="_blank"><em>AC/DC’s Thunderstruck</em></a> features a descending phrase on the B string, but with the open string being played between every fretted note.</p><h4>Adjacent String</h4><p>One string is played open whilst a phrase is played on an adjacent string. <a href="https://youtu.be/ZCOSPtyZAPA" rel="external" target="_blank"><em>She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult</em></a> features an open D string played against the phrase on the G string.</p><p>The open string doesn’t have to be lower. In <a href="https://youtu.be/0vo23H9J8o8" rel="external" target="_blank"><em>Pride &amp; Joy</em></a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Ray_Vaughan" rel="external" target="_blank">Stevie Ray Vaughan</a> plays the opening phrase on the B string against the open high E string.</p><h3>Tapping</h3><p>Popularised by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Van_Halen" rel="external" target="_blank">Eddie Van Halen</a> in the 70s and 80s, this is a surefire way of producing a <em>lot</em> of notes. In its simplest form, you’re spelling out an arpeggio or scale on a single string.</p><p>To achieve this, the picking hand joins the fretting hand on the fretboard, with the picking hand fretting the higher or highest note of the phrase. You can outline entire chord sequences and aren’t limited to playing a single string.</p><p>There are so many excellent examples, but the track that launched a thousand tappers remains Van Halen’s <a href="https://youtu.be/sI7XiJgt0vY" rel="external" target="_blank"><em>Eruption</em></a>.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>The important thing to take away from this is to <em>be creative</em>. Employing any of these ideas, especially if they’re new to you, should broaden your abilities, and may even steer you towards finding your signature sound.</p><p>In summary, look at employing:</p><ul>
<li>Harmonies, such as thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, octaves</li>
<li>Drone sounds using open strings</li>
<li>Tapping</li>
</ul><p>The next tutorial will look at equipment you can use to sound like more than one player. </p>2018-07-05T11:00:38.000Z2018-07-05T11:00:38.000ZPhilip Ockelfordtag:music.tutsplus.com,2005:PostPresenter/cms-31144The Guitarist's Guide to Successful Auditions<p>Playing alongside other people is one of the best experiences a musician can have. Contributing to the creation of a great sound is genuinely thrilling.</p><p>Working with others, however, means having to submit to the scrutiny of an audition. Whether it’s work or fun, treat it like a job interview and prepare accordingly. </p><p>This tutorial gives you ideas for improving the chances of success.</p><h2>Looking for Work</h2><p>Even if you’ve a definite idea of what you want, I’d advise keeping an open mind otherwise you’ll limit the opportunities available.</p><p>For example, I ended up in an Elvis tribute act further to playing some songs at a party. Whilst no great fan, I agreed because I knew it’d broaden my skills and offer gigs I wouldn’t otherwise get. The experience also improved my sound as I had to integrate into a seven-piece band.</p><p>When looking for work, here's some suggestions:</p><ul>
<li>There are many ‘musicians seeking musicians’ websites, some being particular to your area or country. In the UK, <a href="https://www.joinmyband.co.uk/" rel="external" target="_blank">joinmyband.co.uk</a> is a good example. You can search by counties or by phrase such as ‘guitarist’. Joining and placing ads is free, although a ‘pinned’ ad does attract a small cost</li>
<li>Pages and groups on <strong>Facebook</strong> are worth looking into. If nothing else, it’ll give you a feel for what’s out there</li>
<li>In this age of remote communication, try <em>talking</em> to other musicians. Even if they can’t help you directly, they might recommend you to someone else</li>
</ul><h2>Advertise</h2><p>It’s easy to create a free EPK, or <em>Electronic Press Kit</em>. It can be a <strong>Facebook</strong> page, <strong>Instagram</strong> account, <strong>YouTube</strong> channel, or all of the above. </p><p>The more audio recordings, videos, and photos you have, the better. If you don’t have any, create some, even if it’s just a video of you playing along to a song. </p><p>As with all such things, use only your best work. Remember that you’re demonstrating your skills to as many people as possible in one go.</p><h2>Answering the Call</h2><p>Whether answering an online ad, or if a band contacts you, strike the balance between being mysterious and overburdening in terms of information. </p><p>Typically, you’d include:</p><ul>
<li>Your age and how long you’ve been playing</li>
<li>Experience in previous bands, gigs, etc</li>
<li>‘Own gear and transport’ (this is essential)</li>
<li>Influences (consider appropriateness to the band)</li>
<li>Availability (if you’re only free on occasion, chances are you’re not getting the gig)</li>
</ul><p>By all means try to sound impressive but be reasonable and don't make claims that you’ve no hope of verifying later on.</p><p>For example, I interviewed a guy my band had chosen for a second guitarist. They’d been impressed by his influences and the huge range of gear he owned. </p><p>The five minute chat I had with him revealed a serious problem they’d missed—he couldn’t play a note.</p><h2>Audition Booked</h2><p>They like the sound of you and invite you to audition. Here's what comes next:</p><h3>Location Location Location</h3><p>Find out where the audition is. Look it up online and ensure you can find it easily. Nerves aren’t eased on the day by driving round trying to find the venue.</p><h3>Contact</h3><p>Get a mobile number from one of the band just in case of emergencies. </p><p>Sending a text ahead of the audition to the effect of <em>“Just checking we’re still on for today, looking forward to it”</em> will play in your favour.</p><h3>Timing</h3><p>Ensure the agreed time works for you. Furthermore, arrive in plenty of time and don’t keep the band waiting, especially if they’re auditioning a number of people.</p><h3>Gear</h3><p>Check your gear can be packed and unpacked quickly and is fit for purpose. Taking forty minutes fault-finding your super-complex rig won’t impress.</p><h3>Homework</h3><p>Ask what they expect you to play on the day. If they say, <em>“We’ll just jam”</em>, then fine, provided your improvisational skills are up to the task. </p><p>If not, get a list of tracks. Check that you’re learning the correct keys and arrangements.</p><h3>Surprise Surprise</h3><p>Even if you do learn everything, be prepared for a <em>surprise </em>song. If this happens, take it as a good sign—if they’re not interested, they’re unlikely to test you further.</p><p>If you don’t know the song, say so, but follow it with, <em>“But I’ll play it if someone can quickly run through it, or can shout out the chords as we go”</em>. Showing this kind of willingness goes over far better than simply refusing to play.</p><h2>Finally</h2><p>Auditioning often feels very one-sided, with all the weight of work and stress on you. So bear these points in mind.</p><h3>Work Versus Play</h3><p>Even if it’s work, even if there’s lots of preparation and even if you’re feeling pressured, try to <em>enjoy</em> yourself. If you arrive a nervous wreck things will go downhill from there. </p><p>A little anticipation’s fine, particularly if you really want this gig, but don’t let it cripple your abilities.</p><p>The guitar has an amazing capacity to sound in the manner it’s being played—if you want to sound relaxed, happy and in control, <em>that’s how you have to be</em>.</p><h3>Both Ways</h3><p>The band aren’t just auditioning you, but also for you. Regardless of their thoughts, it’s as important that you feel the band’s worth joining.</p><p>Bottom line—consider if you want to spend significant amounts of time working with these people. If the answer’s no, walk away.</p><h3>Keep Some Perspective</h3><p>If you don’t get the gig, don't worry. Nobody died and it’s their loss. There'll likely be a better, more interesting opportunity around the corner.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Like any kind of interview, preparation and experience improve your chances of success.</p><p>Remember to:</p><ul>
<li>Be open to new opportunities</li>
<li>Check out websites and social media</li>
<li>Talk to other musicians</li>
<li>Advertise yourself with an online presence </li>
<li>Speak well of yourself but don’t be dishonest</li>
<li>Agree time and place for an audition</li>
<li>Find out what they expect you to play</li>
<li>Ensure the gear works and is compact</li>
<li>Be prepared to be surprised</li>
<li>The audition works both ways</li>
<li>Enjoy yourself, music should be fun</li>
</ul><p>Get practising and good luck.</p>2018-06-07T09:41:44.536Z2018-06-07T09:41:44.536ZPhilip Ockelfordtag:music.tutsplus.com,2005:PostPresenter/cms-31004How to Get the Guitar Heard Properly in a Band: Part 3<p>In the <a href="https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-get-the-guitar-heard-properly-in-a-band-part-2--cms-30798?_ga=2.83184342.1382931114.1524134694-76165737.1521032952" rel="external" target="_blank">previous tutorial</a>, I covered how choosing the right amp and setting it up correctly can go a long way to improving the live sound.</p><p>In this tutorial I'll demonstrate how effects can lift the tone from bland to brilliant.</p><h2>Useful Effects</h2><p>Effects are often classified in terms of making the player louder, more distorted, further away and so on. Some, however, are also useful for increasing sonic clarity.</p><h3>EQ Pedals</h3><p>This is one of the least exciting <em>and</em> most misunderstood pedals. Most are bought for signal boosting, often using it to lift the volume when soloing.</p><p>There’s nothing wrong with this but it rather misses the point. An EQ pedal can be a lifesaver when faced with a sonically-challenging venue, or having to play through a muddy and indistinct amplifier.</p><p>To get the best from it, you should learn to <em>cut</em> frequencies than just boosting them. For example, if the sound has too much low end, don’t push up the treble. Instead, cut the offending frequencies. Remember, these tutorials are about improving the sound without resorting to cranking up the volume. </p><p>If you’re looking to buy one, every budget is catered for. For example, the <a href="http://www.musictri.be/Categories/Behringer/Guitar/Stompboxes/EQ700/p/P0350" rel="external" target="_blank">Behringer EQ700</a> covers some very useful frequency ranges and, at under £25, there’s no excuse for not owning one. BOSS and MXR are also good choices.</p><p>These pedals typically using sliders to cut or boost fixed frequency points. It’s a simple idea and reasonably effective.</p><p>My only issues are:</p><ul>
<li>Fixed frequencies means you can’t be specific; you can only choose a frequency nearest to what you need</li>
<li>You’ve no idea how big the Q—width—of the cut or boost is</li>
<li>Sliders are inherently more prone to dirt, dust, and thus electrical noise than potentiometers</li>
</ul><p>I would, therefore, recommend a <em>parametric</em> EQ. This not only allows you to choose specific frequencies, but the width of the Q as well. They also use potentiometers, so are more accurate and far quieter.</p><p>They're not, however, cheap. Typically they cost well over £200. Quality costs, but I would still cite the <a href="https://empresseffects.com/products/paraeq" rel="external" target="_blank">Empress Effects ParaEQ</a> as a personal favourite. It’s studio-grade control that lives on your pedalboard. It comes with an adjustable onboard clean boost of up to 30db.</p><h3>Pitch-shifting</h3><p>Whilst everyone’s heard this effect, most wouldn’t necessarily include it on their pedalboard. Extreme examples come to mind, like the fake bass sound used in <a href="https://youtu.be/0J2QdDbelmY" rel="external" target="_blank"><em>Seven Nation Army</em></a>. </p><p>Used carefully, however, it can really help with clarity.</p><p>Here’s a trick I learned in the world of recording and have applied to live performance.</p><p>When mixing a track, if you can’t hear the bass part, record a guitar that’s playing the same thing. As the guitar sits in a range of more audible frequencies, it actually has the effect of making the bass appear easier to hear.</p><p>Therefore, if you can’t hear the guitar in a live setting, use a pitch-shifter to produce a sound one octave up. Dial it in so it’s <em>just</em> apparent—any more, and you get that obvious <em>chipmunk</em> sound.</p><p>That higher octave gives a <em>sparkle</em> to the sound that, as the mixing trick attests, makes the main part seem easier to hear.</p><p>As to what to buy, modern technology means that today’s pedals track flawlessly, so don’t worry about the effect <em>warbling</em> as it tries to figure out which note to shift.</p><p>I’d always recommend buying <em>polyphonic</em> as opposed to mono, because you can play chords without overwhelming it. Prices start around £70 to £90, with Hotone’s Octa Pedal, or <a href="https://www.tcelectronic.com/Categories/Tcelectronic/Guitar/Stompboxes/SUB-%27N%27-UP-MINI-OCTAVER/p/P0D5T" rel="external" target="_blank">TC Electronic’s Sub ’N’ Up Mini</a> as examples. </p><p>Above £100, the choice and quality really broadens. I use the <a href="https://www.ehx.com/products/pitch-fork" rel="external" target="_blank">Pitch Fork</a> from Electro-Harmonix for £150, as it goes three octaves in either direction as well as performing other interval shifts.</p><h3>Shimmer Reverbs</h3><p>These are an interesting development in recent years. Essentially, they’re reverbs where the wet signal passes through an octave-up pitch-shifter. Instead of the reverb becoming darker as it decays, the shimmer effect creates the aforementioned sparkle.</p><p>The pedal therefore serves a dual purpose. Reverb creates a sense of space and depth, but it’s also useful for <em>bedding</em> the sound of the guitar into that of the whole band. </p><p>Both vocals and lead guitar are curious things, as they can sound sort of stuck on top of the rest of the sound, and thus can appear disconnected accordingly. Reverb helps glue them to the overall sound.</p><p>A shimmer reverb therefore attaches the sound of the guitar to the band, and the shimmer makes sure it remains distinct at the same time. Try the <a href="http://www.mooeraudio.com/?product/201410164614.html" rel="external" target="_blank">Shimverb</a> from Mooer for £50.</p><p>As with all effects, tread carefully. Excessive reverb will make you disappear into a ballooning cloud of noise, and too much shimmer gives the impression your guitar’s being fed helium.</p><h3>Resonant Filters</h3><p>Put simply, this creates a peak in the frequency range, whilst cutting a lot of frequencies around it. </p><p>Consider why you'd want to chop away lots of your sound. Hearing it on its own, you end up with an extremely thin sound. </p><p>However, in the roar of a live band, it allows the guitar to cut through. Brian May of <em>Queen</em> achieves this effect by using phase cancellation between the pickups of his guitar. You can hear this in the solos of <a href="https://youtu.be/fJ9rUzIMcZQ?t=2m40s" rel="external" target="_blank"><em>Bohemian Rhapsody</em></a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/Iw3izcZd9zU?t=3m7s" rel="external" target="_blank"><em>Save Me</em></a>.</p><p>If you’re not keen in taking a soldering iron to your guitar, there are pedals that’ll achieve a similar effect.</p><p>Some flangers have a filter switch, allowing you to tune into the resonant peak that works best for you. Mooer’s <a href="http://www.mooeraudio.com/?product/201410169220.html" rel="external" target="_blank">Elec-Lady</a> (£50) is one such example.</p><p>The simplest filter is the humble wah pedal, and guitarists such as Michael Shenker use it to notch out their sound.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Just a few pedals can really make the difference, so remember:</p><ul>
<li>Buy an EQ pedal</li>
<li>Parametric EQ is preferable</li>
<li>Pitch-shifting adds clarity</li>
<li>Choose polyphonic over mono</li>
<li>Consider shimmer reverbs</li>
<li>Resonant filters <em>cut through</em>
</li>
</ul>2018-05-03T08:00:52.000Z2018-05-03T08:00:52.000ZPhilip Ockelfordtag:music.tutsplus.com,2005:PostPresenter/cms-30798How to Get the Guitar Heard Properly in a Band: Part 2<p>In the <a href="https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/getting-your-guitar-heard-in-a-band--cms-30533?_ga=2.155875068.631748615.1521032952-76165737.1521032952" rel="external" target="_blank">previous tutorial</a> I examined how the guitar competes with other instruments in a typical band set-up because of overlapping frequencies. </p><p>I also offered solutions, such as:</p><ul>
<li>Choose a guitar wisely, as wood, pickups, and so on have a bearing on being heard</li>
<li>When working with another guitarist, go for the opposite of their set-up, such as guitar, amplifier and so on</li>
<li>Point the speakers at your head</li>
<li>Put distance between yourself and other instruments, such as drums and keyboards</li>
</ul><p>In this tutorial I’ll explain the choosing and setting up an amplifier.</p><p>Before starting with the input, consider the output.</p><h2>The Most Overlooked Part of the Sound</h2><p>Whilst choosing the right guitar, amp and effects is important, the guitar speaker is often ignored. After all, speakers are speakers, right.</p><p>Wrong.</p><p>My epiphany occurred at a guitar show when a <a href="https://celestion.com/" rel="external" target="_blank">Celestion</a> demonstrator switched between three speaker cabinets whilst playing. Despite all being from the same manufacturer, the difference from speaker to speaker was night and day.</p><p>If you’ve a nice amp, the accompanying speaker’s likely to be of a decent quality. If not, you should consider an upgrade. Typically £70 to £150, it’s a tonal improvement far cheaper than a new amp or guitar.</p><p>You could spend hours staring at frequency response graphs, or read the many arguments as to alnico versus ceramic magnets.</p><p>The simplest solution, however, is to find guitar sounds you like, then research the speakers that are being used.</p><p>Alternatively, try searching <a href="https://www.youtube.com/" rel="external" target="_blank">YouTube</a> for <strong>guitar speaker comparison</strong>. Ensure you’re listening on decent speakers or headphones to really hear the differences.</p><h2>Choosing an Amp</h2><p>In an ideal world—amps are amps—they’d all do the same job. If that were true, however, there wouldn’t be the huge range of makes and models that exists currently.</p><p>It <em>is</em> true that some amps have different or pronounced characteristics. </p><p>Certain brands have become synonymous with particular styles or tones. For example, if I say <em>Marshall</em>, you’re unlikely to think of your favourite jazz guitarist.</p><p>The point I’m making here is, if you’ve a certain sound in mind, some amps are better suited than others, and that may help you get the right tone straight away. That said, don’t be swayed by brand image—if it sounds right to you, then it is.</p><p>Now to examine the major controls.</p><h3>Amp Controls</h3><p>These differ from one manufacturer to another, but, broadly speaking, you usually have the following:</p><ul>
<li>Gain/Pre Gain</li>
<li>Volume/Post Gain</li>
<li>Bass/Lo</li>
<li>Mid (sometimes omitted)</li>
<li>Treble/Hi</li>
</ul><p>There can be other controls, such as Presence, but I'll concentrate on those listed.</p><h3>Gain and Volume</h3><p>Everyone knows what <em>volume </em>means—more is louder, less is quieter. The word <em>gain</em>’ is often associated with <em>distortion</em>. This is true, but only because excessive usage leads to it.</p><p>The best way to understand how they work is to view <em>gain</em> as the <em>input</em> signal, and <em>volume</em> as the <em>output</em> signal.</p><p>In simple terms, the sound is cleaner if you keep the gain low and the volume high.</p><p>Conversely, you’ll hit distortion sooner if you increase the gain whilst lowering the volume.</p><p>When playing a single channel amp, I’ll typically set the gain-to-volume ratio as 3:4. In other words, if my volume’s at 100%, the gain’s set to 75%. </p><p>Playing gently gives me a clean sound, but the gain ensures punch and robustness. Hitting the strings harder, the sound crunches up. For more dirt, an overdrive pedal set to low gain/high volume produces a fat yet articulate sound.</p><h3>EQ</h3><p>Short for <em>equalisation</em>, this refers to controls adjusting frequency levels within an audio signal. On the amp, this is covered by the Bass, Mid, and Treble controls. But these names, like the controls themselves, aren’t very precise.</p><h3>Amp EQ</h3><p>Whilst the amp’s EQ controls are more useful than a single tone knob, they’re hardly the surgical tools common to recording studios. Most lack a <em>Q</em> control, which governs the size of the alteration being made. Without this, you’ve no idea how many frequencies are being affected.</p><p>Furthermore, even when these controls are set <em>flat—</em>neither cutting nor boosting—a lot of very famous amps have a slight dip in that all-important mid-range. Boosting the Middle does little to counter this, so cutting them makes it a lot worse.</p><p>Mids are important.</p><h3>Home on the Midrange</h3><p>A guitar’s typical frequency response is 80-4500Hz, putting it in the following ranges:</p><ul>
<li>Bass (60-250Hz)</li>
<li>Low Mids (250-500Hz)</li>
<li>Mids (500-2000Hz)</li>
<li>High Mids (2000-4000Hz)</li>
<li>Presence (4000-6000Hz)</li>
</ul><p>The guitar’s therefore considered to be a predominantly <em>mid-range</em> instrument. With this in mind, here’s something to avoid.</p><h3>Don’t Smile</h3><p>Beloved of metal bands, the infamous <em>Smile EQ</em> refers to mids cut, bass and treble boosted. As preserving the mid-range is crucial, this approach is a bad idea. Trust me, for every gigging guitarist cutting their mids, there’s a sound engineer boosting them.</p><p>Therefore, keep the mids up, but don’t go crazy as you could create a very <em>nasal, cocked wah</em> sound.</p><p>As for bass, use less than you might think. Adding treble is fine, but too much induces harshness.</p><p>Set the controls halfway, and adjust from there. A good rule of thumb is dialling each control up to the point where it’s obnoxious, and then back a bit.</p><h3>Favourite Settings</h3><p>You may have seen an amp with stickers around the controls. This is the <em>set-and-forget</em> approach, something I wouldn’t endorse, as the sound changes from room to room, venue to venue.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Achieving clarity in a band is having the right tools and understanding how they work. In terms of the amp:</p><ul>
<li>Research the one that suits you best</li>
<li>A different speaker can completely change the sound</li>
<li>Balance volume and gain according to needs</li>
<li>Preserve the midrange</li>
<li>Easy on the bass</li>
<li>Go bright but not harsh</li>
<li>Avoid <em>Smile EQ</em>
</li>
<li>Set EQ according to the room you’re in</li>
</ul><p>In the next tutorial, I’ll demonstrate the effects that can improve clarity in a live environment.</p>2018-03-19T13:14:09.961Z2018-03-19T13:14:09.961ZPhilip Ockelford